To stimulate innovation processes and harness the potential of digital technologies in the economy, I propose declaring the years 2025-2030 as the "Years of Digital Economy and Innovation Development."
This point noted in the Address of the Founder of Peace and National Unity - Leader of the Nation, President of the Republic of Tajikistan, Honorable Emomali Rahmon, on major dimensions of domestic and foreign policy of the country, and this indicates that, with the wise policy of the Head of State, the Republic of Tajikistan, along with all countries of the world, is creating the foundations for the transition to a new economic model and is steadily taking solid steps towards the implementation of its goals, The Caspian Post reports citing khovar.tj.
The digital economy is considered an important factor in increasing business efficiency and people’s living standards. It is a type of economy that develops based on the use of information technologies and digital platforms and encompasses a wide range of economic sectors that produce goods, service provision, or other economic activities digitally.
Digitalization of the economy is aimed at establishing a new model of digital management in economic development, implementing digital innovations in production, attracting foreign investment, strengthening export orientation, promoting import-substituting products, and finding ways to provide digital services.
Currently, the Republic of Tajikistan is in a new stage of development and has set the development of the digital economy and innovation as the most important goal.
The Government of the Republic of Tajikistan, recognizing the importance of stability and competitiveness in the global economy, is developing high-tech strategies for the country’s economic development, the axis of which is the information technology industry.
In this regard, the Government of the country has approved and applied the Concept of the Digital Economy in the Republic of Tajikistan, the Medium-Term Program for the Development of the Digital Economy in the Republic of Tajikistan for 2021-2025, the Concept of Electronic Government, and other regulatory and legal documents to ensure a favorable environment for promoting digital economy policy.
In accordance with economic programs, in particular the National Development Strategy - 2030, the Republic of Tajikistan should move towards a new economic model, and the basis of this model is the development of human capital.
It should be noted that the rapid development of digitalization of the entire global society and the emergence of an increasing number of digital products require accounting management specialists to have the basics of the digital economy, which today is considered a significant competitive advantage.
This is why, in his next Address to the Majlisi Oli of the Republic of Tajikistan, the Leader of the Nation, His Excellency Emomali Rahmon, described the following issue as the following: “At the same time, the educational system of all vocational institutions have to integrate programs for training of IT programmers and other specialists in order to develop the digital economy system and IT programming within the country”
The content of the issue makes us employ highly qualified national personnel through incentives in the field of information technologies and retraining in the leading foreign institutions. Because human capital is developed through the method of training and retraining of personnel in information technologies at home and abroad, and knowledge of the use of digital technologies is expanded and strengthened.
Simplifying trade procedures is one of the central goals of the digital economy, which in turn is one of the goals of the World Trade Organization and the Republic of Tajikistan was admitted as a full member in 2013 by the constructive and wise initiative of the Leader of the Nation, Honorable Emomali Rahmon. Membership in the World Trade Organization is considered extremely important for the people of the country and the Government of Tajikistan, and this process has allowed Tajikistan to implement globally recognized international trade practices and rules and increase the country’s institutional capacity.
Tajikistan’s accession to such a prestigious international organization is considered one of the great achievements of the era of independence, and has become a good impetus for a comprehensive review of all sectors of the economy. One of the main conditions for strengthening its status in this organization is the creation of favorable conditions for the competitiveness of goods and services.
Of course, in modern times, the development of national economic indicators is impossible without the strengthening and expansion of the digital economy and innovation, and this system also affects the development of various spheres of life.
The introduction of digital technologies in public administration is an important aspect. Digital services, smart cities, and data management systems allow for improving the quality of public services, increasing their accessibility and transparency, while reducing corruption practices and strengthening trust in public institutions.
Today, Tajikistan is actively and steadily working to digitize government services, including establishing a virtual window to simplify the process of obtaining services. E-government has also become an increasingly important component, and work is underway to introduce a virtual system for tax reporting, business registration, and other administrative services.
The transition to a digital economy in the world has given rise to several new terms, and the term “digital logistics” is one of them. Digital logistics is the management of material, information, financial, and human processes with the aim of optimizing them through modern information technologies.
One of the sectors that is increasingly implementing its services digitally, both in the world and in Tajikistan, is the logistics sector. The digitalization of transport and logistics services has a profound impact on increasing the competitiveness of companies operating in national and international markets. Digital technologies create favorable conditions for achieving significant achievements and successes in optimizing costs and improving the level of logistics services.
It should be noted that in the economic system, the transport sector is considered one of the key sectors, and it is impossible to imagine trade turnover without roads and transport. The effective transition of the transport sector to a digital system will, first of all, allow, due to the electronic circulation of documents and the implementation of an intelligent transport system, to ensure high-quality infrastructure and road safety, and increases the volume of road transportation between the regions of the country and international routes.
Today, the Republic of Tajikistan is steadily taking significant steps towards the digitalization of the state transport sector.
In the cities of the Republic of Tajikistan, an electronic payment system is implemented for public transport services. This process is accelerating within the framework of the implementation of the digital economy and provides new ways of providing services.
It is noteworthy and gratifying that on October 29, 2024, the President of the Republic of Tajikistan, Leader of the Nation, Honorable Emomali Rahmon, and the Chairman of the National Assembly of the Supreme Council of the Republic of Tajikistan, Honorable Rustam Emomali, on the basis of the Ministry of Transport of the Republic of Tajikistan, put into operation the State Unitary Enterprise “Center for Digitalization of the Transport Sector”, the Experimental Station of the State Unitary Enterprise “Research Institute for Design of Transport Facilities” and the Regional Center for Transport Diplomacy.
New, up-to-date structures have brought the system of operations and service processes in the road and transport sector into line with international standards, and is a factor in orderly development, which is constantly being recorded with notable achievements.
The establishment of the State Unitary Enterprise “Center for Digitalization of the Transport Sector” of the Ministry of Transport of the Republic of Tajikistan, based on the instructions of the Head of State, Honorable Emomali Rahmon, is a part of the implementation of the digitalization of the road and transport sector.
The implementation of the digital control system has made it possible to regulate the movement of vehicles even in the most remote regions.
The State Enterprise “Center for Digitalization of the Transport Sector” has laid the foundation, primarily by introducing and using modern information, communication and telematic technologies, for coordinating the activities of economic entities related to the road and transport sector, regardless of their form of ownership.
In this way, it creates conditions for the digitalization of the road and transport sector, full coverage of statistical indicators of the sector, effective use of road machinery and mechanisms, effective and targeted use of budget funds allocated to the sector, control of the activities of public freight and passenger vehicles, road traffic management, electronic payment for transport services, and the implementation of passporting of highways and their facilities.
It should be noted that out of the 30 digitalization modules identified in the Ministry of Transport, 13 modules are currently being developed and designed, such as a route, GPS/GLONASS/BAIDU monitoring system, dynamic and stationary scales, electronic road identification, card indexing, electronic correspondence, a unified platform for managing transport systems, licensing, certification, permits, an electronic map of road assets and man-made structures, traffic intensity on the road, and a traffic violation module.
Currently, out of 5567.8 km of international and republican highways, 5266.3 km, or 94.5 percent, have been collected data on highway assets.
In the State Enterprise «Center for Digitalization of the Transport Sector», work is underway to process the collected data on determining the dividing line of highway pavements by type, that is, determining the type of highway pavement, the number of traffic lanes and classes of defects in the road pavement, which are being placed by international consultants in the electronic road map program.
At the same time, the State Enterprise “Center for Digitalization of the Transport Sector” offers a call center with the short number 8808 to improve work and services in the process of obtaining licenses, permits, receipts and waybills, the availability of cargo or the need for a vehicle for cargo transportation. The call center allows orders to be received and executed in a timely manner from all corners of the country and abroad in the areas of cargo transportation, passenger transportation, receipt of receipts and waybills.
In general, the activities of the State Enterprise «Center for Digitalization of the Transport Sector» allow all transport services to be provided electronically and transparently, significantly reducing undesirable acts of corruption and the shadow economy.
It is undeniable that the Republic of Tajikistan has taken a higher position in the 2024 global ranking based on the road quality indicator, which reflects the development of the country’s transport sector. Information about this positive result and new tasks for the further development of the country’s transport sector were noted in the next Address of the Leader of the Nation to the Majlisi Oli of the Republic of Tajikistan in the following speeches:
“According to the World Economic Forum, over the past five years, thanks to the reconstruction and renovation of roads, Tajikistan has risen from 50th to 44th place in the world ranking of road quality indicators among 165 countries surveyed, which is 6 positions higher than in previous years.
At the same time, the Ministry of Transport is obliged to take the necessary measures to ensure the high-quality implementation of investment projects, the timely construction and reconstruction of international highways according to international standards, the formation of transit transport corridors and their infrastructure”.
At the same time, in addition to the above-mentioned tasks, the Head of State, Honorable Emomali Rahmon, during the plenary meeting of the Government of the Republic of Tajikistan on the results of the country’s economic and social development in 2024, set a specific task to take urgent measures to accelerate the process of digitizing the transport sector and launching infrastructure for electric transport.
Digitalization of electric vehicles is the process of introducing modern digital technologies into the electric vehicle sector, with the aim of improving operational efficiency, ease of use, and integration with intelligent transportation systems. Digitalization refers to the use of smart technologies, artificial intelligence, databases, cloud technologies, and other advanced solutions to optimize the operation and use of electric vehicles, charging stations, and related infrastructure.
The digitalization of electric vehicles is a strategic goal for the sustainable development of the country’s ecological transport infrastructure, which can play a significant role as a means of building a «green economy».
In this regard, in order to implement the indicators of the “The Program for the Development of Electric Transport in the Republic of Tajikistan for 2023-2028”, approved by the Resolution of the Government of the Republic of Tajikistan No. 532 dated October 31, 2022, and at the same time, in order to implement electric transport activities in the Republic of Tajikistan in accordance with the experience of developed countries, by order of the leadership of the Ministry of Transport of the Republic of Tajikistan, electric transport and digital logistics sectors were established within the structure of the State Unitary Enterprise “Center for Digitalization of the Transport Sector”.
The establishment of the above-mentioned sectors can play an important role in implementing innovations and using modern technologies in the field of electric transport. In turn, the SUE “Center for Digitalization of the Transport Sector” should make efforts to keep all digital services relevant and up-to-date in developing relationships with customers and partners effectively.
Within the framework of encouraging the use of electric vehicles and reducing the negative impact of traditional transport on the environment, the following measures are appropriate: - implementing measures to attract the private sector by providing incentives for the production and provision of services for electric vehicles, as well as charging infrastructure facilities and services; providing advisory assistance and support in organizing and regulating the production of batteries in compliance with the requirements of legislation in the field of environmental protection; promoting the priority of using electric vehicles on social networks and mass media, along with other measures.
It should be noted that the State Enterprise “Center for Digitalization of the Transport Sector” in order to implement the instructions of the Government of the Republic of Tajikistan, implements the goals of programs, strategies and other state regulatory and legal acts, as well as to implement the Decree of the President of the Republic of Tajikistan No. 911 dated January 8, 2025 “On declaring the years 2025-2030 as the “Years of Digital Economy and Innovation Development”, has defined specific goals and objectives for its further activities and has established procedures for the development, consideration and approval of the “5-Year Plan for the Implementation of the Road and Transport Sector of the Republic of Tajikistan for 2025-2030”, which, of course, requires financing and cooperation with the private sector to implement the points and goals of this plan.
Finally, today, rapid digitalization is having a profound impact on all spheres of human life, and the Republic of Tajikistan is moving towards a transition to a model of development of the digital economy and innovation, placing it as one of the strategic goals at the heart of state policy, and is steadily taking solid steps.
It is expected that in the future, with the strengthening, development and expansion of the digital economy, we will achieve an improvement in the republic’s position in international assessments, access of the population and households to broadband and mobile Internet, an increase in the quality of digital services, an increase in the share of services in digital form, the number of new jobs created in the digital sector, as well as a set of other target indicators.
